Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892), Poet Laureate of Great Britain, is best known for his excellent poetry. One of his poems I remember reading in High School was “The Charge of the Light Brigade.” But one that really stayed with me, and that I have used in sermons, was his famous “Crossing of the Bar.” But what many may not know is what he said as a prelude in memory to a dear college friend. Tennyson wrote: “Strong Son of God, immortal Love, whom we, that have not seen thy face, by faith, and faith alone, embrace, believing where we cannot prove.”

What was once a common occurrence in English poetry, where God, faith, trust in our divine purpose, has been replaced by a new form of poetry called, “Rap.” But the lyrics our young people hear in this secular genre say nothing about reverence for God, good morality, or respect for one another. Rather, vulgarity has become the new norm because it is supposed to be the reality in life. But thank God there is another reality, and that is the Kingdom of God where there is faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these is love.¹ Love for God and love for each other.² – Dr. Robert R Seyda